It depends on what part of history we’re talking about but cats were considered both lucky and unlucky. Ancient Egyptians hailed cats as gods and cats have never forgotten this. In ancient Egypt it was a capital offence to hurt, harm or kill a cat and people who did this would be punished severely. Ancient Egyptians praised cats for controlling vermin and their ability to kill venomous snakes such as cobras, and the cat quickly became a symbol of poise and grace.

In Norse mythology, Freya was the goddess of marriage. She rode in a carriage that was pulled by two cats and the goddess is represented by a grey cat. Christians decided that Freya was a witch and a Pagan and her cats were seen as agents of Satan. Obviously the Christians saw the cats as unlucky and evil.

When soldiers came back from the Crusades, they brought black rats with them, (that caused the Great Plague and killed millions) and suddenly cats were needed again. This improved their image greatly.

Throughout the ages, people have always thought that cats possessed psychic abilities. Cat charms such as on a pendant have been thought to bring good luck and to help the wearer develop their own psychic potential.

There are many more stories and beliefs about cats being good luck and I tend to agree…afterall, a certain black cat crosses my path everyday.

I have a six year old Maine Coon mix named Seabass. To say that he is curious would be an understatement. There are so many things that your cat is exposed to on a daily basis that can be harmful and even fatal!

I’m here to inform you of some common household dangers that could hurt your kitty and tell you how to prevent an accident.

Open dryers and washing machines- There have been a few incidents of cats getting into washers and dryers with devastating outcomes. Cats love to hide in warm laundry and small spaces. Make sure that your washer and dryer are closed when not in use and be sure to check the machines before using.

Dropped pills-Have you ever dropped one of your medications on the floor and were not able to find it? It’s happened to everyone. This is especially dangerous if you have a cat because they could potentially ingest the medication that they found. Cats eat a lot of things that they find on the floor, whether it be a stray piece of sandwich meat that you didn’t see, a small strand of shredded cheese, a drip of milk from a cereal bowl and the list goes on. A good tip is to open all medications over the sink with the stopper inserted. That way you will be able to find the pill with ease and your furry friend will remain safe!

Hot surfaces-Cats love to climb on counters and this behaviour comes from wanting to perch high above everything to scope out their territory. This is especially dangerous if you have a flat top stove. Flat top stoves have a flush surface and can remain extremely hot up to 5-10 minutes even after being shut off. If your kitty likes to jump up on things this could result in major damage and suffering from burns! Train your cats to stay off of the counter by putting aluminium foil along the edges of all counter tops in the kitchen. Cats don’t like the sound of the feel of the foil and this will deter them from jumping up.

Cleaners, bleaches and disinfectants-Just like medication, the ingestion of these household products can prove fatal to your furry friend. Keep all cleaning materials out of reach. If your cat knocks over a cleaning supply liquid they may not drink it BUT if the liquid gets on their fur or feet they WILL groom themselves. Keep your cat safe by storing all products in an area where your cat cannot get into such as a locked cabinet.

Plants-I’ve touched on this before so please visit my post about plants that are toxic to cats on this blog.

Needles and thread-Don’t leave needles or thread unattended even for a second. Your cat could ingest them and then you have a horrible problem on your hands. Cats love string and that is one thing I never let mine play with. The string can get wrapped around their tongues or if they eat the string it could do internal damage. The same goes with needles, they could get one in the eye or body part, or internally. Please be vigilant when doing any kind of sewing or crafts and don’t leave anything unattended.

These are just a few household dangers that could pose a potential threat to your cat. Cats are naturally curious so they need your help to be kept safe!